Thursday, October 29, 2015

COMEDIAN: Louie C.K.

I am a big fan of Louie C.K. just like most of the smart Americans in the universe of America. In the comedy world, he is what some folk would call "The bee's knees" or the king/emperor/master/sensai/etc of comedy. My douchy 'anti mainstream' hipsteryness doesn't want me to like him, because he is so famous/funny/life changing. But I really truly love his work, and watch everything he does. My father's friend from High School, married one of Louie C.K.'s sisters. When his show on FX aired in 2010, my dad had recorded some episodes because of that. I saw them and thought of it as something I would watch if I had nothing else to watch. So eventually I did.I was about sixteen, and it struck a very weird comedy chord in me. The extremely bizarre and humorous world that he created was an image that stuck in my brain. So I continued to watch. The first joke that really hit me was... His bit on taking his daughters to the bathroom at the airport. Him pointing out the farting foreign men's penises. Taking them into the stall with him next to two shitting men, one man is pushing his leg on the ground to get leverage. Then he hears the other guy hock up a loogie. This is the line that made me love him... "So now I know, that guys is SPITTING PAST HIS DICK, into his own shit and piss." The ALL CAPS words are where the hitting of my mind occurred.That was the most relatable thing I'd heard up to that point from a comedian. It was exactly what I wanted to hear come out of his mouth during that bit. I'll never forget that moment... Another moment that struck me was when I listened to him in an interview with Ron Bennington (Unmasked with Louie C.K.) Everything he said in that interview was what I was thinking and what I needed to hear.Louie C.K. talked about his love of making shorts films, so like Woody Allen, his philosophy was basically to become as funny as possible so that they'd HAVE to give him a camera. At that moment, it rang in my head that "I have to do Stand up". Because I wanted to make films, and that attitude of being so funny that "they'd HAVE to let me do it!" was very powerful. And listening to him describe his early years and fears about Stand up gave me confidence and reassurance. Because I had never heard a comedian talk about the horrible and hard beginnings of their careers. It was a stepping stone for me in in listening to interviews of comedians through podcasts and radio shows, learning from conversations.I continue to love his show, and have moved onto watching his stand up specials. (Shameless, Chewed Up, Hilarious, Live at the Beacon Theater, Oh My God) and his newest one at the Comedy Store. These are all amazingly funny and fearlessly satirical pieces of comedy wisdom. I have seen all of them many times.In 'Chewed Up' his first fifteen or so minutes were on the words, Faggot, Cunt, and Nigger. I capitalize these words because they are as important to me as God or Jesus. He deconstructs their meanings, their alternatively used and slang meanings, and why they are funny. He dissected these politically incorrect terms so beautifully that every PC person had to realize their truths, whether they wanted to or not. Then he wraps it all up beautifully, I won't tell you how, because you should go see it if you haven't!This is just one specific piece from one of his specials, there are so many more bits that have the same, if not more of a brilliant impact.His insanely honest perspective on his wife and kids are groundbreaking, in so many ways. I listen to his older stuff where he does this and I'm flabbergasted at how I actually just used flabbergasted in this sentence... It truly is mind blowing to listen to this guy who is basically sacrificing his failing marriage and young daughters for his career. But then you realize the value in this honesty, and the courage he has to say these things alone on stage to drunk strangers! Quite innovating stuff.A lot of people don't like him, because he has become so ginormous. That's normal, he cannot be liked by everyone. He's been at it for too long, and is TOO good to let some faggot nigger cunt deer bloggers and anonymous haters try to take him down. You're allowed not to like him, but you HAVE to respect him. I could go on and on about how much I love Louie C.K. His show on FX especially, because it was my first exposure to him. It is my home base. He has a hugely positive impact on me and millions of other creative and amazing people.There are plenty of people we all meet in our lives that are shitty to us and we don't like them. At the opposite spectrum is Louie C.K. a guy who changes peoples lives, and allows us to admire him from the sidelines. I don't see the big deal is with blowing Ewan McGregor, I'd much rather blow Louie C.K. if I had the chance... Watch 'Shamless' and you'll get the reference. Hopefully my dad's friend from High School can hook that up.PIG NEWTONS RULE!